The Silent Harbinger
by BabLe7
Summary: After a vicious attack, a young naruto suffers from psychological damage causing him to refuse to speak. after years he finally becomes a ninja that can over come anything. except his silent treatment. M for later scenes naruXfem!haku. INDEFINITE HIATUS. CHECK PAGE FOR REASONS.


The Silent Harbinger: A Frozen Heart

A/N: This is AU and I don't own Naruto.

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

_Writing_

"**Demon or summon talking"**

'_**Demon or summon thinking/inner personality'**_

A/N2: There will be a lot of time skips in this story for a little while. Important things that are skipped will be told through flashbacks. There, you've been warned.

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage, was sitting in his office reading the reports of several ANBU as well as information given to him by the hospital.

"How has it gotten this bad?" He asks the emptiness of the room.

The reports were from a special group of ANBU that he had picked out. They all had one thing in common and that is the only reason he had picked any of them.

"This has gone far enough; I have to intervene before this gets any worse. I just hope I'm doing this in time."

The ANBU group was specifically put together to guard one Uzumaki Naruto. None of them hated him for what he holds and that was exactly why Hiruzen had chosen them. Unfortunately, the civilians seemed to have figured out when the guard shifts change and attacked right when no one was protecting Naruto. It was a disaster.

This was the third attack or attempted attack this month. The report from the hospital listed at least four broken bones, seven fractured ribs, and significant blood loss to the point that he had passed out. Naruto was now in critical condition in the hospital under the care of the few doctors and nurses that did not hate him. All the old Hokage could do now was sit, wait and pray that the boy would not suffer any ill effects from the event when he finally awoke.

A week later we find the Hokage briskly walking down the halls of the hospital. He had just been informed that Naruto had regained consciousness. As he was about to enter the boy's room, the doctor grabbed his arm. "Hokage-sama, there is something you need to know before you go to see him. Though the injuries have healed like they always do, he will not speak to anyone. We've checked for damage to his vocal chords and his brain that could cause it but there wasn't any damage. He just refuses to speak. So we gave him a note pad and a crayon to help him communicate."

"I see. After all, there is only so much a three year old can handle before they become affected." Hiruzen responded before turning the handle and entering the room.

As soon as the Hokage entered the room, Naruto's mood brightened a little bit. He put on a half-faked smile and waved to the elderly kage.

"I'm glad to see that you are doing better Naruto-kun. Now there is a very important reason that I came down here. Do you know what that is?" Sarutobi said.

Naruto shook his head but you could plainly see a small amount of curiosity in his expression.

"I came to tell you that you will be living with me and my family from now on." The Hokage said with a smile.

At that Naruto's face lit up with a real smile for the first time in months. He then, even though it caused him a lot of pain, jumped onto the elderly Hokage and gave him the tightest hug that his weak arms could manage.

By the end of the day, Naruto had been checked out of the hospital and was given a room in the Sarutobi clan house/mansion. The first thing Harumi, Hiruzen's daughter-in-law, did when she saw Naruto was pick him up and give him a tight, motherly hug. She was six months pregnant with her first child. Asuma, Harumi's brother-in-law, greeted Naruto with a smile and ruffled his hair. Kein, Harumi's husband, greeted Naruto in much the same way that his brother Asuma had.

So, over the next three years, the Sarutobi family became the family that Naruto had been deprived of since birth. They all helped Naruto in their own ways. Harumi had taught Naruto how to read and write. Kein had taught Naruto things like basic math and how to think creatively through things like riddles and word games. Asuma had begun to teach Naruto how to defend himself incase he got into a bad situation and no one was there to protect him. Finally, Hiruzen told Naruto about the history of Konoha in a way that would keep the blond's attention for more than thirty seconds.

But, no matter how hard they tried, Naruto still refused to speak. They could never figure out why until Naruto had learned enough to write out the following sentence. _I don't feel a need to speak._ He never elaborated whenever they asked why, so they just accepted the fact that he would talk when he was ready. Of course, not talking didn't stop Naruto from playing with the young Konohamaru.

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Six years later, Konoha Ninja Academy, team assignment day

Naruto had finally done it. It was hard and it was only going to get harder from here on since Naruto had just barely made genin the week before. He was always the odd kid of the class because of his absolute refusal to speak, even if only a greeting or even a grunt.

Iruka, the chuunin instructor for his class, stood at the front of the room having just finished his 'I'm proud of you' speech and was about to start calling out team assignments. "Team one will consist of…"

He honestly couldn't care less what team he was placed on. As long as he was able to get away from the constant glares of the villagers and most of the shinobi. He was approaching his breaking point and he knew it. After all there is only so much a child can handle before it affects them, even if that child is a ninja.

"Team five will consist of…"

If only no one knew about the fox. At this point, no one caring that he held the fox just wasn't a viable option anymore. The only way that either of these was going to happen was if he went back in time. But that also wasn't a viable option. Time travel, as far as he knew, was impossible. (A/N: I will be making a second time travel story that follows the storyline of this story up to this point before diverging. I thought you might like to know that so that you have something to look forward to.) He could always ditch his team at some point on a mission outside of the village by faking his own death or something but that would be too complicated.

"Team seven will consist of Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto. Your sensei will be Hatake Kakashi."

No one knew, but Naruto actually resented Konoha. It took a lot of work and acting to hide it from the Hokage and his family, but he didn't want to stay in Konoha. He was grateful to them and all, he just couldn't take the treatment he received outside of their household. The only reason he became a ninja was because it was the fastest means of getting away from the scorn-filled village.

"Alright everyone, you have an hour and a half for lunch before your senseis arrive."

Naruto just got up and went to Ichiraku's where they gave him his usual.

Over the six years Naruto had been in the academy, he had become a master of stealth. He could be unnoticed if he wanted to, but then the civilians would think it was because of the fox, so he hid that little talent away so he would have an ace up his sleeve for later. So, about a year ago, Naruto had decided. He was going to vanish without a trace at the first chance he got.

When Naruto got back into the classroom, he just sat down in his usual seat in the back corner. He then had to sit through three hours of hours of the pink-haired banshee's complaints, rants and attempts to get Sasuke to go out with her. Just as Naruto was reaching for a knife to end the pink-haired fan-girl's life, the door opened to reveal their sensei.

"My first impression of you is… you're all idiots. Meet me on the roof in five minutes."

Naruto was out of the room before his two teammates even noticed. They found him sitting on the roof in front of Kakashi with a bored look on his face.

"Alright, it's time for introductions. Tell me your name, likes, dislikes, hobbies and dreams for the future." Kakashi said, lowering his book just enough that it looked like he was half paying attention.

"I don't get it sensei. Why don't you go first to show us how?" Sakura said.

'She was the smartest girl in class?' the three males present thought simultaneously.

"Fine. My name is Hatake Kakashi; I have lots of likes and dislikes, my dreams for the future… I have lots of hobbies. Now it's your turn pinky." He said while pointing at Sakura.

"Whatever. My name is Haruno Sakura; I like -looks at Sasuke-, my hobbies are -looks at Sasuke-, and my dream for the future is -looks at Sasuke and squeals loudly while blushing-"

"And your dislikes?" Kakashi asked.

"Ino-pig and Naruto!" Sakura answered, half yelling.

Naruto quickly scribbled something on the notepad he always carries around and held it up. _What'd I do?_

"Okay, you with the chicken-ass hairdo, your up." Kakashi said pointing to Sasuke.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke; I have no likes, I dislike everything, my hobby is training and my ambition is to kill a certain man."

Sakura looked at him with hearts in her eyes.

"And the mime wannabe." Kakashi said pointing to Naruto.

Naruto held up his notepad. _My name is Uzumaki Naruto; my likes are the Sarutobi clan and the Ichiraku family, my dislikes include the rest of the population of Konoha, my hobby is training, my dream is to gain sannin travel rights so that I no longer have to stay in Konoha._ Naruto then put his notepad back on his lap before looking up to see everyone giving him a funny look. Naruto raised an eyebrow, a gesture that was synonymous with him asking 'what?'.

Kakashi shook off his shock and proceeded to tell his team about the real genin test and when to show up and all that before he immediately went to the Hokage's office. "Hokage-sama, I have reason to believe Uzumaki Naruto is a flight risk." Kakashi said after the elderly Sarutobi acknowledged his presence. "He has clearly stated that he does not like the majority of the people in this village and says he does not wish to stay in Konoha if he can help it."

"I already know Kakashi. He may be happy with the family I have been able to provide for him, but he will never be happy in this village if its people continue to act the way that they do towards him. I can see it in his eyes. He was already half broken from the incident nine years ago. It won't be much longer before he breaks completely. There is no person in this village that he cares for enough to stay in the village for if given the opportunity to leave." Hiruzen responded.

"Then what can we do to get him to stay sir?" Kakashi asked, concerned for the one he had once watched over.

"Hope and pray. That is all we really can do Kakashi. This is one of the many choices that we cannot help him with."

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Month and a half later, Tazuna's house (I'm skipping to this because I want to end the wave arc sooner than later. Everything happened the same as in anime/manga except Naruto is silent and writes the stuff out instead of saying it.)

"Why do you try so hard? You're all going to die anyway! You can't defeat Gatou."

Naruto just held up his notepad, response already written on it. _Haha, good one brat. You think you're the only one who's suffered? Think again! At least you don't serve a village that would rather see you dead in hopes of one day being allowed to travel freely._ Naruto then put down his notepad, got up and walked out of the house and into the forest.

Tsunami looked worried. "Is what he wrote down true?"

"It's part of the reason he hasn't spoken or made a sound of any kind like it in nine years. He was beaten to within an inch of his life by the very villagers he now protects. In any other situation he would have been out of the hospital in a day because of his accelerated healing ability. But that time, that time he was in the hospital for a week. He was three at the time and he has refused to speak since then. That was the sugar-coated version of his life." Kakashi explained.

Everyone in the room was in shock. No one should have to live through something like that. "Why didn't he just leave? I mean it's not like anything was stopping him before." Inari asked in an almost indignant tone.

"That's quite simple. He could defend himself while he was in the village, but wouldn't be able to defend himself from the threats he would have faced outside of the village. So he chose the lesser of two evils so to speak." Kakashi answered. "Now enough of this. Sakura, Sasuke, go to bed. If Naruto isn't back by morning I'll go get him. He just needs to vent right now."

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

The next morning we find Naruto sleeping comfortably against a tree at the edge of a clearing. A girl with long black hair who wearing a pink, sleeveless yukata was crouched down next to Naruto staring at him. 'Should I wake him?' she thought to herself 'he is one of the ones guarding the bridge builder. Maybe I should just…' she began to reach for Naruto's throat but stopped a few inches away and shook her head to clear it. She the reached over and grabbed his shoulder before gently shaking him awake. "You'll catch a cold if you sleep out here." She said in a gentle voice.

Naruto sleepily opened his eyes and after one look at the girl, hastily scribbled something down on his notepad before showing it to her. _Have I died and gone to heaven?_

"No silly. What are you doing sleeping out here?" She asked, amused that he apparently thought that she was an angel.

_Training._ He scribbled.

"You're a ninja?" She asked.

_The headband isn't an obvious enough sign?_ He had to admit, you would kinda have to be stupid or completely out of it not to notice the shiny piece of metal on his forehead.

"Oh, I see. Do you have anyone who is precious to you?"

_Only my surrogate family. I really don't have any friends._ His head was a bit downcast when he showed this to her.

"Then I'll let you in on a little secret." She said and leaned over towards him, unintentionally giving him a look down her top, before whispering in his ear. "You can only become truly powerful when you protect that which is precious to you."

_That's nice to know. What's your name?_ he questioned while trying to get the blush off his face.

"My name's Haku. What's yours?"

_Naruto. I'll see you later. It would be bad if Kakashi-sensei found me with you, wouldn't it oinin-chan?_ Unlike before, Naruto had ripped this page out of the notebook and had left the clearing before Haku had finished reading it.

"How did he-? Oh well. I have to get these herbs back to Zabuza-sama so I can fix his wounds."

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

As Haku was pulling the herbs out of the basket she noticed something she didn't remember putting in the basket to begin with. A small folded piece of paper addressed to both her and Zabuza.

"Uh… Zabuza-sama…" Haku called.

"What is it Haku?" Zabuza grunted from his bed in the next room over.

"I think you may want to see this." She said as she walked into Zabuza's room and handed him the letter.

Zabuza took the letter from Haku before cautiously opening it; his movements were still extremely stiff so it was a struggle right now to do anything. The letter read as follows:

_Dear Haku and Zabuza,_

_I did some research on Gatou and I found out something you might like to know. He always hires nukenin to do his dirty work, and when that's all done, he hires around 200 mercenaries for the same price as the one nin to take out the exhausted nin and not have to pay as much money because the nin and half the mercenaries are dead._

_In light of that tidbit of information I would like to make you an offer. I have strong ties with the Hokage. If you want, I'm sure I could get him to let you join Konoha._

_Sincerely, Uzumaki Naruto_

Zabuza gave Haku a serious look. "Go check to see if this information about Gatou is true. There are still three more days before we can even think of attacking the bridge anyway."

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Naruto walked into Tazuna's home around the end of breakfast with a large smile on his face. Kakashi looked up from his book as Naruto walked in. "Why didn't you come back last night Naruto and why are you grinning like an idiot?" Kakashi asked in a very serious tone.

_I fell asleep after training and I may have turned Gatou's help against him._

"You do realize that was reckless?"

_You do realize I don't care?_

"Go get washed up. I'll have a set of mental exercises ready for you when you're done." Kakashi said as he pulled out a scroll and started writing the exercises and tests out. This had become a challenge set up by the Hokage for the two of them. Kakashi would make sets of theoretical situations, background information with specific details left out and sets of seemingly irrelevant data. Naruto's task would be to find a way to meet a condition in the theoretical situation, read between the lines to find the selectively excluded data in the background information and come up with a specific set of relevant information from the seemingly irrelevant data sets given. If Naruto couldn't figure out at least two of the three mental tests, Kakashi got a point. If Naruto figured out at least two of three tests, Naruto got a point. The score was currently Kakashi: 4 Naruto: 2.

The tests were mainly to keep Naruto's observation skills sharp. His chakra control was already in excellent shape thanks to Asuma drilling it into his head so that he wouldn't waste his chakra.

Kakashi almost laughed to himself. If the academy tests had been like these exercises he was giving Naruto, he would have been the top of the class instead of the supposed dead last. The reason he failed the testes in the first place was because he had said they were too easy and refused to even do them. Kind of a silly reason don't you think? (I can tell you some people actually act like this. I'm one of those people. I hate easy things, they're just too boring.)

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Unfinished bridge, three days later

Team 7 and Tazuna show up at the bridge to find all the workers standing at the end of it just staring at the two figures that were standing on the bridge. Zabuza and Haku. "Don't worry Hatake, we're not here to fight. It seems that the blond is a very adept information gatherer. He gave us some information about our employer that I didn't particularly like once Haku confirmed it to be true."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "And what would that be?"

"He was never planning on paying us from the beginning."

"That does put a damper on your willingness to work for him doesn't it?"

Zabuzu grunted in agreement before walking up to Naruto. "Are you really that connected to the Hokage, brat?"

Naruto nodded.

"Then I accept your offer. Just make sure you hold up your end."

"It's not nice to betray your employer, Zabuza." Gatou called from the unfinished end of the bridge. He had 200 mercenaries behind him.

"Nor is it nice to betray those you've employed." Zabuza shot back.

Naruto turned to Kakashi. _May I take care of this trash?_

"You're being reckless again and will do this even if I say 'no' right?" Kakashi asked.

_You know me too well._ Naruto smiled. Not a fake one or even a pleasant one. No. This was a purely sadistic smile.

"Fine. We'll back you up if we think you need it."

As soon as Kakashi finished, glowing blue ribbons appeared around Naruto, dissolving soon after. Naruto then produced fifty shadow clones before they all drew bladed tonfa that no one had even realized he was carrying. The clones charged in, intent on dealing with the mercenaries while the real Naruto slowly walked towards Gatou, spinning the tonfa slowly. Naruto stopped halfway down the bridge as one of his clones kicked Gatou in his direction, skidding to a stop mere feet from Naruto. Naruto stood over the cowering Gatou like a predator stands over its prey. In one swift, fluid movement, Naruto cleanly separated Gatou's head from the rest of his body.

Upon seeing this, Zabuza turned to Kakashi. "Okay, what happened to this kid? No genin should be able to pull that without it visibly affecting them."

"He's close to his breaking point. I guess you could say he's been half-broken since he was three, it's just, whatever happened, he hasn't recovered from it fully." Kakashi said quietly.

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Unnamed bridge, day after its completion

As the group of six ninja walk down the bridge toward the road that will lead them to Konoha, Tazuna, being the bridge's designer, finds it necessary to ask this question. "What are we going to name the bridge now that it's finished?"

"How about 'The Great Naruto Bridge'?" Inari suggested.

"All in favor?" Tazuna asks.

"I." everyone answers.

"Okay. What do we do now that we've decided that?"

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

With our favorite group of ninja…

"Sasuke will you go on a date with me when we get back to Konoha?" Sakura asked for the fifth time since they had left wave.

"No." Sasuke replied coldly. Honestly, they only left wave fifteen minutes ago. This is why Sasuke hated his fan-girls. They only remember you saying what will make them feel better, so when he says 'no' to a date request they've already forgotten three minutes later and they ask again.

Kakashi was reading his Icha Icha Paradise while Zabuza was reading from Kakashi's spare copy. Both of them were discreetly keeping an eye on Naruto and Haku.

'Why?' you might ask. Because they were walking hand in hand with Naruto resting his head on Haku's shoulder. Naruto never gets that close to anyone. He's not a fan of prolonged skin contact. So him holding someone's hand was definitely out of the ordinary.

Kakashi pulled out a camera and was about to take a picture when he noticed a kunai jammed into the lens with a note attached to it. _Not happening sensei._ It was Naruto's handwriting. The same thing happened with Zabuza except the handwriting was Haku's.

With all chances for blackmail currently gone, Zabuza and Kakashi went back to focusing on their reading.

They had a little trouble from the gate guards but it was settled quickly and the group headed to the Hokage tower.

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Omake: 'That Isn't Going to Help'

Neji's fight with Hinata during the prelims…

"Come on Hinata you can do it!" Yelled Kiba.

"Kick his pompous ass!" Ino and Sakura yelled at the same time.

_Go Hinata!_ The sign Naruto was holding up.

Kakashi turns to Naruto. "I don't think she heard you."

Naruto looked thoughtful for a second before holding up a new sign with a wide, satisfied smile on his face. _**Go Hinata!**_

Kakashi covered his face with his hands. "That isn't going to help." Kakashi just shook his head. 'He may be a tactical genius who can read between the lines and find well hidden information, but other than that, he's an idiot.'

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Okay, that's the end of this chapter but please don't stop reading. I apologize for the large timeskips but I wanted to get past that time period quickly. If anything important happened I will reference it through flashbacks, which are more fun for me to make anyways. Also, about those blue ribbons, I'll explain those in a later chapter; just know that they are a major part of Naruto's training. You may or may not have noticed by now, but this is a Naruto x FemHaku pairing. But fear not, those of you who want more! I am offering a chance at a micro-harem (2 or 3 girls total).

The girls you will be allowed to choose from are listed below.

-Tenten (Likes pointy things that tend to go _**STAB**_)  
-Temari (Gaara's sister. 'nuff said.)  
-Isaribi (the fish girl)  
-Yakumo (the genjutsu girl)  
-Shizune (I think this would make it very interesting, though I usually don't write pairings with large age gaps, I'm willing to do this if it's voted for)

Any girl outside of those five that is suggested will be ignored. So remember, vote if you want micro-harem and if you do, your top one or two choices. If you vote for more than two, only the first two will be counted. One final thing that needs to be taken care of, should Haku be put on team 7, made a chuunin or work at the hospital? Thank you for reading another one of my random ideas that has come to fruition. Ja ne.


End file.
